Will The Veterans Committee Actually Elect Someone This Time Around?

Yesterday marked the release of the 2007 Executive/Umpire/Manager ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. Twenty men in all three categories are up for consideration. Information on the voting process (which seems to have been made deliberately complicated so as to avoid serious scrutiny. Either that or I'm really tired) can be found here.

I don't have a ton of time at the moment, so this will just be a quick and dirty breakdown on the chances of those twenty candidates. If I get a chance before the results are made public in early December, I'll try to do a more detailed analysis. For now, however...

Buzzie Bavasi (executive): No
Barney Dreyfuss (executive): No
John Fetzer (executive): No
Doug Harvey (umpire): Yes
Whitey Herzog (manager): No
Bob Howsam (executive): No
Davey Johnson (manager): No
Ewing Kauffman (executive): No
Bowie Kuhn (commissioner): Hell no
Billy Martin (manager): Yes
Gene Mauch (manager): Only if he pulls within one vote of 75%, then gets 10 consecutive no's
John McHale (executive): No
Marvin Miller (executive): Yes
Danny Murtaugh (manager): No
Hank O'Day (umpire): No
Walter O'Malley (executive): No
Gabe Paul (executive): No
Cy Rigler (umpire): No
Billy Southworth (manager): No
Dick Williams (manager): No

By my count, that's three yes votes: Harvey, Martin and Miller. Harvey was one of the finest umpires in baseball over a thirty-year period, Martin put up with George Steinbrenner, and Miller convinced the players that they could stand up to the owners and win.

It should be interesting to look at the careers of these twenty men. I've heard of most, but have little knowledge of their lifetime accomplishments. Like I said - if there's time, expect a better breakdown. If not...just root for the three named above. They have as good a chance as any.